Soft-collar support.



W. D. WILLIAMS.

SOFT COLLAR SUPPORT.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN.24. I918.

Patented J an. 14, 1919.

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WILLIS n. winnraius, or

SOFT-COLLAR, SUPPORT.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented darn. tt, T919.

Application filed. .1 anuary 2t, 1919. Serial No. 919,593.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, WILLIS D. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louisfin the State of Missouri, haveinvented" certain new and useful Improvements in" Soft-Collar Supports,of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a reinforcement or stifiener for soft collars. A greatobjection to soft collars is that perspiration or wear will cause thesame to bend at the top or other- Wise to become crumpled. This marstheir appearance.

At the present time food conservation has led to economy in the use ofstarch and to such an extent is this true that it has been suggestedthat the United States Government will ere long prohibit the use ofstarched, i. c. stiff collars, there being a similar prohibition alreadyin force in Great Britain.

The object of the present invention is therefore to enable the wearingof soft collars by providing means that will prevent deterioration intheir appearance while be ing worn.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, inwhich like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a perspective View with the left-hand flap of the collarturned up;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the righthand flap of the collar turnedup, part of" the front of the collar showing;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the collar and stifiener at the pointwhere the back collar-button passes through the same; and

Fig. t is a perspective view of the stifl ener.

The soft collar 1 is of the usual or any desired form or constructionand is provided with the usual collar button-holes 2 and 3 and isattached to the shirt by the studs or collar-buttons t and 5..

The ordinary soft collar is provided with the button 6 by which the flap7 is attached to the band 8 of the collar 1. This button 5 passesthrough a button-hole that is not shown in the drawings in flap 'l' andis utilized in the present construction for that purpose and also forthe additional one of holding one end of the stifiener 9, the saidbutton 6 for this purpose passing through eyelet 10 in stifi ener 9.

At the opposite end of stifiener 9 an eyelet 11 1s provided by means ofwhich and button 12 the said opposite end of stilfener 9 is attached toband 8. The said button 12 is sewed to band 8 but is not found inordinary soft collars. lltis provided expressly for the use of thisinvention in conjunction with eyelet 11 in stidener 9.

To prevent fraying or unnecessary wear of the inside of the folded edge13 of the collar 1 the stiffener 9 is provided with a head or flange14:, which may be formed by bending over upon itself the upper edge ofedge 13 of the collar 1 so as to insure that the upper edge of bead 14will exactly fit within the collar 1 underneath edge 13, in order toprevent the said edge from becoming bent over or crumpled. Thus it willbe seen that stifl'eners 9 will be manufactured of suitable sizes to fitthe various sizes of collars 1.

The stiifeners 9 will preferably be made 'of rubber but can be made ofcelluloid,

paper and other materials. The objection that is generally found to theuse of rubber or paper collars or the like is absent when only thestiffener 9 is made of such a ma terial while the collar 1 is itselfmade of ordinary cloth fabric.

Tt will be understood that the button 5 passes through the shirt-band l6before it passes through the button-hole in collar 1, or throughbutton-hole 15 in stiffener 9.

Another function and advantage arising from the head 14: on stiffener 9besides that described above is the fact that it equalizes thethicknessof the neck-tie that passes around stiffener 9 to be tied in front. Tfthe said head it were absent, there would be an uneven empty spacebetween the top edge of the necktie and the inside of the fold in collar1 underneath edge 13..

Formed as above described, the bead 1 f will present a smooth,non-cloth-wearing edge on the inside of edge 13.

Having thus described this invention, it

hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order oruse of parts,

, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein Withoutdepar ing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of thefollowing claims.

Claims:

1. The combination With a soft fold-over collar having a flap at one endto extend into the fold at the other end, of a button Within said foldto Which the flap is adapted to be secured, another button on theflapbearing end ofthe collar and arranged be low the fold at that end,and a stiffener arranged in the fold of the collar and having eyeletsadapted to receive said buttons respectively.

The combination with a soft fold-over collar, of buttons secured to theopposite end portions of the collar within the fold thereof, and astiffener having eyelets adapted to receive the said buttonsrespectively for retaining the stiffener in place in the fold of thecollar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WV. D. W ILLIAMS.

